Water Filter Suggestions

[MiguelEnfermo]

Hola folks. Since the search feature on the forum isn't very precise, I thought I would ask. Apologies if this has been addressed before, as I am sure it has.
I have extremely hard water with some chlorine and am looking for a filter to put on the end of a hose (or faucet) to filter water for my coco/perlite grow water. My neighbor has a whole house filter but he is a ways away and I am tired of lugging 10 gallons from his house to mine every week. My back ain't young anymore . There are thousands of them on Amazon but it looks like some have soft water features that add stuff. I just don't know and I have NO PPM meter. I just want to get rid of most of the bad stuff out of the water.
Suggestions?

[Ckbrew]

I have to ask why do you want to do this? Is there a problem with the plants? General rule of thumb if you can drink it, ok for plants. Your water supplier should be able to supply a water analysis free of charge which should include PPM and chlorine level. If the EC/PPM is to high, you could dilute with RO or distilled water, or look into a cationic resin exchange filter. It has been a wile since I had to deal with one of those, idk how expensive they are now and they need to be replaced when used up. Growing in coco if you reduce the EC in the water you may need to add more calmag. Assuming you already use calmag with coco. With out a EC meter or a water report, you are only guessing.

[MiguelEnfermo]

I live in the third world and our water comes from either a de-sal plant or from a well under the desert. Sometimes they have to bring it to our house in trucks. It sux. The last SF cloth pot I used looked like a glazed doughnut when it was finished and the little electric pump I used to remove runoff died from getting clogged with mineral deposits and gunk. We don't drink it.
Suggestions?

[Ckbrew]

Ok, that makes things clearer. Options I see are RO system, cationic resin exchange, or a water still, maybe a softener if the chemistry is right. If you are in a sunny place a solar still might be the least expensive DIY option. You could use that system to make drinking water as well as plant water. A comprehensive water analysis so you know what you are working with will help, but it sounds like that may change with different batches of water. The details are in the chemistry. Each option has different expenses, pros and cons in terms of upfront costs vs ongoing costs. Hope this helps.

[golfnrl]

In the past I used this thing called a Boogie-Blue. It removed chlorine, chloramines, and other junk. Then I stopped using that when I learned what Ckbrew said. Now, even though I don't have to, I use a chlorine remover for aquariums. I recently purchased an inexpensive water distiller. I was shocked at the gunk it took out of the water. I use it solely for my humidifier, but you could use it to make clean water for your plants. You'd just have to make up for all the good stuff the distillation process takes out but with your experience that doesn't look like it would be a problem.

[MiguelEnfermo]

Thanks for chiming in folks, appreciate it. Aside from distilling it or RO, has anyone tried some multi-layer carbon filter doo-hickey from Amazon to remove the crusty stuff and a little chlorine? I need something to just remove some of the yak.

WAIT, I just googled golfnrl posted about a Boogie-Blue (seemed like a funny name) and that is exactly what I am looking for!

Thank you!!!

[Ckbrew]

That is a resin filter with carbon. That should work but how much water do they process? Once they have been used up, they are a replacement item. Let us know how it works out.

[DabberDog]

No suggestion. A question.
I looked back at one of your grows. Why are you wanting to clean up your water? Your plants seem to like it.

[MiguelEnfermo]

Thanks Dabber! Yes, my grows have been huge, but it is tearing up my equipment. That calcium and stuff ruined a cloth pot and a water pump. Not to mention that after a grow, I had to spray white vinegar all over everything to soak it to de-crust everything. Since using my neighbors filtration system, last few grows have been a lot less crusty. It's the hauling of the heavy filtered water back to my place that sux. His whole house filter is thousands of dollars, I don't need all that.

[Ckbrew]

Carbon will reduce chlorine, but not dissolved solids. If you want simple the cationic resin filter is the way to go but pricy on the amazon search. It is just chemistry, no easy way around it. The universe wants chaos and low energy and you are trying to go against that. Doing so requires energy and resources. I'm gonna go hit some DFV before I get anymore philosophic.

[MiguelEnfermo]

You might be right Ckbrew, I am a retired IT engineer and we have a tendency to overdo and overthink shit.

[Ckbrew]

I do that all the time

[Pyrokill]

I use a larger whole house setup. Just filter media, no additives. Spun string as the first stage for solids, a carbon canister, then a heavy metal filter.

Rumor to have higher lead levels scared me at home and I put one in. The filters are about 20" tall and ? 4 inches around ish... On my 3rd grow with it and I don't let my water set out as long for indoor and my outdoor has been liking hose water. In the past I let water sit a few days to outgas.

I can't smell anything I'm my water anymore so it's working as far as I can smell.